After a dream season the year before, 2008 was a bit of a nightmare for the Rockies.

Colorado was Baseball America’s Organization of the Year in 2007, winning a franchise-record 90 games with a largely homegrown team that blazed into the postseason with wins in 14 of its final 15 games. The Rockies then blew through the playoffs and reached the World Series for the first time ever before getting swept by the Red Sox.

With a young core of players who all seemed to still be on the way up, along with a farm system that BA rated as the game’s seventh-best entering the year, Colorado had high expectations heading into the season. The front office made few moves and was willing to rely on its farm system to fill any holes that appeared.

The major league team never got it together, however, limping along on the fringes of contention all season in the mediocre National League West. The Rockies finally fell out of the running in September and finished 74-88, a decline of 16 wins from 2007.

Troy Tulowitzki, depended on as a franchise cornerstone, was hurt much of the year and batted a lackluster .263/.332/.401 when he did play. Several other young players took steps back as the offense scored 113 fewer runs than it had the year before. On the pitching front, Jeff Francis saw his ERA balloon to 5.01. Former No. 1 prospect Franklin Morales, who looked like a future ace at the end of 2007, went 1-2, 6.39 in five starts and found himself back in Triple-A.

Reflecting the disappointment of the season, the front office made wholesale changes to the big league staff after the season, keeping manager Clint Hurdle but getting rid of just about everyone else. The Rockies also traded their best player, Matt Holliday, to the Athletics ahead of his impending free agency.

The news wasn’t any better on the farm, where Morales’ performance was reflective of a system where most of the top prospects regressed. Ian Stewart and Greg Reynolds did graduate to the big leagues, though neither marked himself as a surefire regular going forward. Shortstop Hector Gomez and righthander Casey Weathers both had Tommy John surgery.

One bright spot for the organization was the continued development of outfielder Dexter Fowler, who becomes the Rockies’ top prospect after playing for Team USA in the Olympics. He’ll be expected to step in at center field after the Rockies cleared the way by nontendering Willy Taveras after last season.

Fowler is a great example of Colorado’s aggressive nature in recent drafts. In August 2004, the Rockies saved $2 million when they traded Larry Walker to the Cardinals. They used a chunk of that money to sign Fowler, days before he planned to enroll at Miami.

The Rockies’ increased presence in Latin America continues to pay dividends. Venezuelan righthander Jhoulys Chacin and Dominican catcher Wilin Rosario were two of their few prospects who significantly boosted their stock in 2008. Chacin led all minor leaguers with 18 wins, while Rosario ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Pioneer League.